Waverly Park plans

[thommo_05]

I was just reading up on the history of Waverley Park when I discovered the astounding fact that the original plans catered for a 157,000 capacity. I had never known this, but good grief that is another 50% bigger than the MCG and would have been absolutely monstrous. What a white elephant that would have been considering the sad end Waverley eventually met..

The original plans were for a stadium catering for up to 157,000 patrons, which would have made it one of the biggest stadiums in the world. To accommodate the large number of patrons, the Members Stand was to be extended around the whole ground. However, in 1982/1983, when the extensions were due to commence, the Government of Victoria refused to approve the plans for the upgrade because the upgrade would have threatened the Melbourne Cricket Ground's right to host the AFL Grand Final. Hence, no further development ever occurred and the capacity was set at just over 78,000 patrons.

http://vhd.heritage.vic.gov.au/places/heritage/6059

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waverley_Park


This may be common knowledge to many but I hadn't known and found it incredible..

 

[witsend]

I was just reading up on the history of Waverley Park when I discovered the astounding fact that the original plans catered for a 157,000 capacity. I had never known this, but good grief that is another 50% bigger than the MCG and would have been absolutely monstrous. What a white elephant that would have been considering the sad end Waverley eventually met..

The original plans were for a stadium catering for up to 157,000 patrons, which would have made it one of the biggest stadiums in the world. To accommodate the large number of patrons, the Members Stand was to be extended around the whole ground. However, in 1982/1983, when the extensions were due to commence, the Government of Victoria refused to approve the plans for the upgrade because the upgrade would have threatened the Melbourne Cricket Ground's right to host the AFL Grand Final. Hence, no further development ever occurred and the capacity was set at just over 78,000 patrons.

http://vhd.heritage.vic.gov.au/places/heritage/6059

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waverley_Park


This may be common knowledge to many but I hadn't known and found it incredible..

One of the biggest issues Waverley faced was that it was meant to have a rail link to it, as it was/is in the demographic centre of Melbourne, but successive State Governments reneged on the deal.
Also the design being low and out rather than high and near, a la Etihad, where you are closer to the action, proved problematic to viewing the game for those away from the fence.
And it was freakin' cold!!!

 

[maryjames]

they should had kept that stadium, right in the middle of outer suburbs seems like a perfect place for footy. and to make new stands would had been awesome.

 

[BLPC08]

They got 92,000 to a Hawthorn Vs Collingwood game in 1981 from memory. I wasn't there, although a mate of mine said it was almost a crowd crush in some sections.

Oh, and for the record, I think Hawthorn got home comfortably

 

[strategy]

yep , the state Govts over the years stuffed Waverly and the AFL helped them .
It should never have been closed .

 

[OzBomber]

Could you imagine how crap the view would be, being at the top of a 157,000 seat stadium?

Anyway, I think the AFL are starting to regret getting rid of Waverley. Couldn't they have redevolped it?

 

[Pessimistic]

Footy is a bit like NFL in that it is a BIG game and would have been acceptable for such a hige stadium with appropriate technolgy support.

soccer and other games are so subtle that intimate or TV is the way to go.

Its a shame we might nver see such a monster.



I also had a wild idea for "wide" AFL. get the biggest stadia you can - maybe a racecourse and lay out a field like the pre-rules footy games you hear about. - maybe 3-4 times the area of a current footy field

get composite teams of perhaps 36 a side, a dozen umpires, bounce the ball and see what happens.

 

[incubi]

Waverly deserved to be closed, it was crap. It was impossible to get to, when you did get there you ended up sitting miles from the action, it was in the rain belt and there was little cover and there was no atmosphere. good riddance i say.

 

[numchuks]

Fooyy is a bit like NFL in that it is a BIG game and would have been acceptable for such a hige stadium with appropriate technolgy support.

soccer and other games are so subtle that intimate or TV is the way to go.

Its a shame we might nver see such a monster.



I also had a wild idea for "wide" AFL. get the biggest stadia you can - maybe a racecourse and lay out a field like the pre-rules footy games you hear about. - maybe 3-4 times the area of a current footy field

get composite teams of perhaps 36 a side, a dozen umpires, bounce the ball and see what happens.

Brilliant. I would def pay to see that!

 

[Pessimistic]

Could you imagine how crap the view would be, being at the top of a 157,000 seat stadium?

Anyway, I think the AFL are starting to regret getting rid of Waverley. Couldn't they have redevolped it?

the stand which is still there is the heifht of the planned staduim - it was 70,000 plus so extending it right round would have done the 160,000,

At the top of the stand the view isnt too bad - in my otherost I opine that footy is a BIG game and siuted to large audiences. you can also see cape liptrap down the coast on a clear day !

I was at the top of the new MCG stand for the GF and I mist say i enjoyed it immensely !!

 

[taraba]

Ah yes... Good old Waverley.

For those who haven't seen my video tribute to the place have a look...

I really miss the joint

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4tygaDM3_c

 

[ozasismick]

Was a doco on Fox Footy Channel years ago about the history of Waverley.., interesting times.

 

[OzBomber]

Ah yes... Good old Waverley.

For those who haven't seen my video tribute to the place have a look...

I really miss the joint

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4tygaDM3_c

Is that your video? I love that vid. It's awesome. Wish I got the chance to go there. So I can't really comment on whether the ground was good or bad.

 

[1jasonoz]

I am lucky enough to have actually spoken to Allen Aylett and also have his book regarding the Waverly issue; Aylett at a meeting with the then premier John Cain infront of witnesses was told by Cain that he Cain as a long term MCC member (as where many government front bench members), would never allow the VFL to build waverly to its planned expansion, as it would then challenge the MCG as the states premier stadium, and give the VFL leverage over the MCC.

He Cain stated that the state would never build the promised rail line and would put in place as many barriers to make it impossible to ever extend the ground to its planned capacity.

Aylett in one of his first decisions as VFL president actually tried to move the G/F to waverly and the above comments where meant to have occured at the meeting in which Cain informed Aylett that the Vic government would bloke any moves to change the G/F or expand waverly would be blocked.

 

[taraba]

Is that your video? I love that vid. It's awesome. Wish I got the chance to go there. So I can't really comment on whether the ground was good or bad.

Thanks man, I made it with my brother around 2000 or 2001. Can't really remember. Just a lot of good memories from the joint and everything wasn't as regulated as it is now.

 

[relapse]

Great video possibly the last thing ever filmed there.

I wish I had gone there one last time to say farewell, I think I only ever went there twice against Hawthorn in 1991 and the 1993 final against Carlton.

We all look back fondly now at a ground that most wanted to see the tail end of for years. Football Park is Adelaide is pretty much the same design and has most of the same flaws as Waverley 1960s thinking that didnt stand the test of time.

I didnt know until I saw a special on Waverly in the record, maybe it was for the last Waverly game that the ground was to be completed in three stages and in 1984 the AFL was originally going to leave the MCG once the contract ran out never to return and VFL park was to become the home of football. Stage 2 never got off the ground except for the scoreboard and it basically sat how it was from the start until they got rid of it.

According to the old fox footy show headliners Waverley was doomed by the MCC's political dominance in Victoria at the time. Sunday football, the never to be built trainline were all obstacles that the MCC sympathetic pollies kept under red tape to try and stop the VFL moving permanently away from the MCG.

 

[coke_zero]

would be bloody good for me if it was still around. imagine the carpark and trying to get out after the game with 160 000 people at the ground.

 

[The Donners]

Could you imagine how crap the view would be, being at the top of a 157,000 seat stadium?

Anyway, I think the AFL are starting to regret getting rid of Waverley. Couldn't they have redevolped it?

The sale of Waverley saved several Victorian clubs.

Waverley was an architectural disaster. I went there often and loved the fact I lived within walking distance but in reality, it was non-accessible to many supporters, particularly on the other side of the city due to poor infrastructure, i.e. rail/light rail.

I'm now in Rowville, they're still "threatening" a rail line, in fact I received an artist's impression of the entire Stud Park preccint including the rail line running through the centre of Stud Road courtesy of the City of Knox... tell 'em they're dreamin'!

 

[tandino]

Just a lot of good memories from the joint and everything wasn't as regulated as it is now.

Ain't that the truth.

 

[thommo_05]

Ah yes... Good old Waverley.

For those who haven't seen my video tribute to the place have a look...

I really miss the joint

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4tygaDM3_c

Top video mate. Certainly conjures up many old memories. Sad to see it in such a state of disrepair..

I had forgotten the uncanny resemblance Waverley has with Footy Park..

 

[Wallaby]

Is this a joke?

No - makes perfect sense. Why not have a facility to be used by large numbers close to the centre of population?

Waverley is closer to Melbourne's centre of population than the MCG (I think the COP is now east of Huntingdale/Box Hill).

As every one has already said, there needed to be a rail spur built - either down the SE freeway, or across from Huntingdale. That would also have turned Waverley Gardens Shopping Centre into a major destination that could rival Chadstone - I think there may have been some pressure from that side as well.

All major stadiums around the world (except some in the States where they don't have any public transport eg: LA) have a railway station. Imagine getting to the MCG without Richmond or Jolimont.

No rail link = stadium does not work.

 

[Fossie 32]

If the AFL had the mindset to make it work it would have been fine. One of their most pathetic, stupid decisions ever to get rid of it.

 

[spatado]

Ah yes... Good old Waverley.

For those who haven't seen my video tribute to the place have a look...

I really miss the joint

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4tygaDM3_c

That is a great video!!!!

 

[mattys123]

All Waverley needed was a Perplex roof and a rail link, and we wouldve been fine.

The atmosphere in the ground was good, especially when full, was a much better AFL stadium that the Docklands concrete hell, in which if a fire ever occurs, you have one option on the city side of the stadium, die in the fire, or jump to the railway tracks below and die anyway, great design.

Really though, to say the sale of Waverly saved VFL club's is to believe the AFL's P.R, they spent most of that money on buying the rights to rent Docklands and eventually own it.

The whole plan fell apart with John Cain, who someone mentioned was an MCC member or even a board member at the time, pretty silly.

Football Park in Adelaide is a mini Waverley, and the actual ground (while in need of an upgrade now) looks after the City of Adelaide's needs fine.

Isnt the real story here that they built a stadium in Docklands, that noone wants to have anything to do with anymore due to piss poor management, greed and conflict of interest.

 

[HolyWars]

Waverly deserved to be closed, it was crap. It was impossible to get to, when you did get there you ended up sitting miles from the action, it was in the rain belt and there was little cover and there was no atmosphere. good riddance i say.

You must have been at the games with your eyes closed, it certainly had a better atmosphere then that hole down by the docks.